SMITTEN BY HER (unedited)

You let her get to you

The Morning After: A New Year’s Clash

The estate buzzed with early morning preparations. Ji-hyun was flitting about, excitedly packing for the upcoming trip to Seoul.

The staff moved like clockwork, carrying out their tasks with precision, but a tense undercurrent flowed through the grand halls.

In the dining room, breakfast was being served. The air smelled of freshly baked bread, brewed coffee, and something sharper—tension.

Sophia sat quietly at the long dining table, her hands clasped around her mug as if it could shield her from the eyes that darted toward her.

Samantha, seated at Mr. Lee's side, wore a triumphant smirk. Her perfectly manicured nails tapped lightly against the glass of orange juice she held, her gaze fixated on Sophia.

“Do you think you’ll manage in Seoul, Sophia?” Samantha asked, her voice syrupy sweet but laced with venom. “It’s a very sophisticated city. Not everyone can handle the expectations.”

Sophia froze but quickly composed herself. “I’ll manage, thank you.”

Samantha’s smile widened. “Will you? I mean, it’s one thing to play the secretary here, but out there? Among people with class, culture…money?”

The jab landed. Sophia’s throat tightened, but she refused to look up.

“Enough,” Mr. Lee’s voice cut through the tension, cold and sharp. He didn’t look up from his plate, but the weight of his words silenced Samantha momentarily.

But not for long.

“Oh, I’m just concerned,” Samantha said, feigning innocence. “After all, we wouldn’t want Sophia to embarrass you, darling.”

Sophia’s fingers clenched around her mug. The word darling felt like a slap, and the heat of shame crept up her neck.

“You’re crossing a line, Samantha,” Mr. Lee said, his tone calm but carrying a deadly edge.

But Samantha wasn’t done. “Am I? I think I’m well within my rights to express my concerns. After all, I am your wife.”

The room went silent. Sophia’s vision blurred slightly as she blinked back tears.

“I—” she began, but Samantha cut her off, her voice rising.

“Maybe you should just stay here, Sophia. Seoul might be too much for you. Honestly, it’s generous of Mr. Lee to keep you around at all.”

Sophia’s chair scraped against the floor as she stood, her chest tight and her vision swimming.

“Sit down,” Mr. Lee’s voice was low but commanding, stopping her in her tracks.

Sophia hesitated, caught between her urge to flee and the power in his voice.

His gaze shifted to Samantha, and when he spoke again, the room seemed to tremble with the force of his anger. “Apologize.”

Samantha blinked, startled. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” Mr. Lee said, his tone like ice. “Apologize to Sophia. Now.”

The table was deathly quiet. Samantha opened her mouth to retort but stopped, perhaps sensing the storm brewing behind Mr. Lee’s dark eyes.

Instead, she stood abruptly, her chair toppling over, and stormed out of the room without another word.

---

Ji-hyun was at Sophia’s side in an instant, her arms wrapping around her tightly.

“She’s such a witch,” Ji-hyun muttered, glaring at the doorway Samantha had disappeared through. “Don’t listen to her, Sophia. She’s just jealous because you’re actually important to him.”

Sophia shook her head, struggling to find her voice. “It’s not—”

“It is,” Ji-hyun said firmly. “She sees it. We all see it. Don’t let her get to you.”

Crystal appeared moments later, a tray of tea in her hands and concern etched across her face. “Sophia,” she said softly, setting the tray down. “Are you okay?”

Sophia managed a weak smile. “I’m fine.”

Crystal knelt beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to pretend. Samantha’s cruel, but you’re stronger than her.”

“She doesn’t belong here,” Ji-hyun said with a huff. “We all know it. I don’t care if she’s married to him. She’s awful, and Mr. Lee deserves better.”

Crystal shot Ji-hyun a pointed look but didn’t disagree. “What matters is that we’re here for you, Sophia.”

Sophia’s chest ached with gratitude as she looked between Ji-hyun and Crystal. For the first time in a long while, she felt like she wasn’t alone.

---

Later that day, Mr. Lee found Sophia in the study, where she’d retreated to gather her thoughts.

“You let her get to you,” he said, leaning against the doorway.

Sophia glanced up from the book she hadn’t really been reading. “She’s your wife. She has a right to say what she wants.”

He crossed the room in a few long strides, his presence consuming the space. “She has no right to speak to you like that.”

Sophia stood, unwilling to let him corner her again. “Why does it matter? She’s right. I don’t belong here.”

“You belong where I say you belong,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.

Sophia’s heart raced, but she held her ground. “You can’t control everything, Mr. Lee.”

He stepped closer, his dark eyes locking onto hers. “Watch me.”

---

By evening, the household was a flurry of activity as everyone prepared for the trip to Seoul.

Ji-hyun couldn’t stop talking about all the places she wanted to show Sophia, from her favorite street food stalls to the quiet library she loved.

Crystal helped Sophia pack, her steady presence calming the nerves that Samantha’s outburst had stirred.

“You’re going to be amazing,” Crystal said, folding a scarf and placing it neatly in the suitcase.

Sophia smiled faintly. “I hope so.”

“You will be,” Crystal said with a certainty that left no room for doubt.

---

In another part of the estate, Samantha was pacing furiously while Penelope listened with a sly smile.

“She’s ruining everything,” Samantha hissed. “And he—he defends her like she’s some kind of treasure.”

Penelope leaned back, her lips curling into a smirk. “Then it’s simple. We make her life here unbearable. She’ll leave on her own.”

Samantha stopped, her eyes narrowing. “You think that’ll work?”

Penelope’s smile widened. “Trust me. I know how to deal with little pests like her.”

But as the household prepared for Seoul, none of them could anticipate how the trip would shift the balance of power and deepen the ties between Mr. Lee and Sophia in ways none of them could undo.